Grant stares at the spot where the rift was for a few seconds. He looks around for any other targets around him, looking up to see if the birds were still there. A few more seconds pass, the cold logic of the alien teachings of the Lords of Magic retreats from his thoughts. The mage looks down at the blade of shadow in his hand as if a bit surprised to see that it's there. He begins to shake, whether it's a crash from adrenaline or fear at what he was able to accomplish only time will tell. This blade, I feel like I've used it before, but I was fighting...deevils? Why am I still plagued with these fragmented memories still! Grant thinks about the giant eye and the implications of an alien intelligence being involved in their quest. The eye! It was huge. We are involved in something much larger than ourselves.

Grant looks around the area of where he and the 'demon' appeared before the rift checking to see if dropped anything in it's surprise. He'll cast Globe of Daylight if necessary to have sufficient light. He takes what he finds and puts it one of his dimensional pockets as he goes back to the clearing. "Watcher, Barric, Yanso, the 'demon' escaped through a rift." He looks up at the UAR-1, the fire from the destroyed centaur power armor providing light so that he can see it's a non-standard blue color. Grant says over the radio, "Weiss? Are you in the UAR-1" Hearing a confirmation, Grant adds, "You and Watcher arrived just in time, thank you."

Ronith and Beltin are back at the Haven, they can handle just about everything. We should take a moment to look around here, but we should let them know we are okay, Grant thinks. He clicks on the radio, "Sir Ronith, Beltin, Barracuda, this is Grant. We are okay thanks to the intervention of Watcher and John. We will be headed back to town soon. Is everything okay?" Grant stops transmitting for a second, then press down the button, feeling a little presumptious asking, "Do you need our assistance?"

He floats down to Barric and Yanso, "If any of those thugs are still alive, we should take them back to the Haven and turn them over to the Defenders. Would you two mind collecting their weapons? We can probably store them in John's robot." He turns to look for Watcher, "Watcher, are you picking up those giant birds on your scanners. Is there anyone else out there that we need to be worried about?" He pauses, letting Watcher answer, then adds, "Please let the Defenders know of our battle." He looks at the other power armor, now mostly wreckage. He asks the more technically minded of his team, "That was quite an advanced piece of hardware, is any of it of use? Maybe we can get a wrecker out here with a hover barge to pick it up and take it back to the Haven."

If any of the thugs are alive and mortally wounded, Grant says to them, "If you cooperate, I will use my magic to try and save you." Grant will cast Heal Wounds to help stabilize any of them that need it. Afterwards he says, "Barric, your large hands will work as well as any handcuffs, do you mind carrying them back?"

Interrogation 79% vs 1d100 = 33 | Interrogate prisoners

If there are prisoners, Grant attempts an impromptu interrogation as the return, attempting to find out what they know - Who hired them? Where did they meet? What were they told about his team? What was the plan? Grant casts Charm upon whoever looks to be hiding something to get him to speak freely.

After doing a search of the area, Grant goes back with the group, answering the Defender's questions about how they were snatched and flown out to an ambush in the woods. But he doesn't offer any conclusions as to why they were attacked.

Upon returning to the Haven, seeing the damage, Grant flies ahead and alights at the hole, he exclaims, "Wow," as he sees the damage, and a smile appears on his face to see everyone alive if slightly worse for wear. Stepping out of the rain, Grant casts Cleanse, instantly relieving him of his soggy state.

Weiss scanned the area, checking for any other hostiles. The weather wasn’t helping the situation and wasn’t showing much sign of letting up. If it got much worse, he’d have to be careful not to end up stuck in the mud or slipping over, which in a 28 ton robot, was not graceful or pleasant. After they got back to the garage, the Blue Beauty would require maintenance, repairs and reloads. Readouts suggested a few locations had been holed or at least badly dented. he activated his infrared spotlights to sweep the area, whilst keeping a close eye on the thermal imaging system.

Grant Latham wrote: He looks up at the UAR-1, the fire from the destroyed centaur power armor providing light so that he can see it's a non-standard blue color. Grant says over the radio, "Weiss? Are you in the UAR-1" Hearing a confirmation, Grant adds, "You and Watcher arrived just in time, thank you."

"Acknowledged Grant, this is indeed my robot the Blue Beauty, though she is gonna need some patching and repair and some reloads. You up for helping with that Yanso?" The squad hadn't seen him in action before and thankfully for first time out, he managed to perform a rescue and shoot the hell out of an opponent that would have caused them a lot of problems otherwise. "You're welcome for the assist. That's what I'm here for."

Grant Latham wrote:He looks at the other power armor, now mostly wreckage. He asks the more technically minded of his team, "That was quite an advanced piece of hardware, is any of it of use? Maybe we can get a wrecker out here with a hover barge to pick it up and take it back to the Haven."

“Coast appears to be clear people” Weiss contacted the rest of the team out here in the pouring rain, “Everyone alright? Does anyone require medical assistance?”

“Yanso, could you check the remains of that power armour that is still relatively intact?” Weiss advised the Kremin, “with any luck, the pilot will not have had chance to erase their telemetry logs. That might be able to tell us where these frakkers are based. I'll contact the Defenders to claim salvage. We don't want somebody taking this stuff when it might of use to our investigation. Not had time to check my systems yet, but does anybody recognise the design at all? I could attempt to carry the remains, but I wouldn't recommend it." Glad somebody else suggested taking the armour. Don't want to look greedy, but the Blue beauty could definitely do with a patch up job.

He activated his radio and switched to the channel used by the defenders.“Defenders, this is the Blue Beauty. Flying subjects have been neutralised. Two centaur power armours have been despatched in near vicinity to the city. The Heroes for Hire are claiming salvage rights on the two power armours and enemy combatants.”

He activated the radio and attempted to contact HQ; the weather was not helping with signal strength, but the Blue Beauty’s communication systems were stronger than the handhelds the others had and he wasn’t sure what capabilities Watcher had, so he figured he had the best chance.

"Grant, I'm filtering your transmission through my communications array. That way if there is interference, the Blue beauty will have more power than your handheld just in case. There was fighting when Watcher and I came after you. If there is no quick response, we would be best heading back to HQ as quickly as possible to assist." As always, Weiss was worried about Zac and anxiously awaited a response from HQ.

Finally free of his sticky trap and the darkness, Barracuda rushes over to the site of the explosion and works to clear rubble. They blew up the building. Who were they? Seeing Ronith emerge from the rubble, Barracuda focuses on finding the rest of the team. When he sees Beltin's forcefield, he breathes a sigh of relief. Thank god. I knew he wouldn't let them die. Picking up what he can, he moves the rubble from around Beltin's forcefield to ensure that nothing will collapse in on them once he recalls it. Once that task is done, he looks through the forcefield to make sure everyone is OK.

Grant Latham wrote:"Sir Ronith, Beltin, Barracuda, this is Grant. We are okay thanks to the intervention of Watcher and John. We will be headed back to town soon. Is everything okay?"

Barracuda gets his radio out of his utility belt and responds. "There was an explosion. No one seems to be hurt, but we're still digging through the rubble to get everyone free. The Haven is compromised."

Yanso rolls into a crouch after leaping 40' backward as he realizes the armor is going to self-destruct. Sensing no other targets with his optics, he sheathes his weapon and walks back toward the group. "Good timing, Weiss. The Blue Beauty showed up just in time."

Grant wrote:"If any of those thugs are still alive, we should take them back to the Haven and turn them over to the Defenders. Would you two mind collecting their weapons? We can probably store them in John's robot."

"Acknowledged. Perhaps I can carry some back now while this flying spell is still active."

Weiss wrote:"Acknowledged Grant, this is indeed my robot the Blue Beauty, though she is gonna need some patching and repair and some reloads. You up for helping with that Yanso?..........Yanso, could you check the remains of that power armour that is still relatively intact?” Weiss advised the Kremin, “with any luck, the pilot will not have had chance to erase their telemetry logs. That might be able to tell us where these frakkers are based. I'll contact the Defenders to claim salvage. We don't want somebody taking this stuff when it might of use to our investigation. Not had time to check my systems yet, but does anybody recognise the design at all? I could attempt to carry the remains, but I wouldn't recommend it."

"Indeed, I can help you with almost any repairs you need. We might even be able to add some armor here and there, if you like." Yanso inspects the enemy armor's computer for the telemetry Weiss mentioned.

Barracuda wrote:"There was an explosion. No one seems to be hurt, but we're still digging through the rubble to get everyone free. The Haven is compromised."

"<<I'm on my way.>>" Once Yanso identifies any relevant salvage or information he discards his previous idea to carry some of the salvage back now in order to fly at maximum speed back to the Haven to help dig everyone out of the rubble.

Grant wrote:"If any of those thugs are still alive, we should take them back to the Haven and turn them over to the Defenders. Would you two mind collecting their weapons? We can probably store them in John's robot."

Weiss looked behind him at the small locker. He kept a few bits and pieces in there, but he hadn't accumulated a lot of stuff. Some had been lost when the farm had been attacked, but generally it was old habits as a mercenary of being always to pick up and carry all your stuff with you.

"There isn't the storage space you'd expect in here, but as long as there isn't anything obscenely large to store, then we should be able to fit things in either the locker or in the space for the gunner. Just don't expect a lift home." he laughed, hoping that nothing they put in here smelt, otherwise it was getting carried in the Blue Beauty's hands or one of the others was going to have to deal with it.

Weiss wrote:"Acknowledged Grant, this is indeed my robot the Blue Beauty, though she is gonna need some patching and repair and some reloads. You up for helping with that Yanso?..........Yanso, could you check the remains of that power armour that is still relatively intact?” Weiss advised the Kremin, “with any luck, the pilot will not have had chance to erase their telemetry logs. That might be able to tell us where these frakkers are based. I'll contact the Defenders to claim salvage. We don't want somebody taking this stuff when it might of use to our investigation. Not had time to check my systems yet, but does anybody recognise the design at all? I could attempt to carry the remains, but I wouldn't recommend it."

"Indeed, I can help you with almost any repairs you need. We might even be able to add some armor here and there, if you like." Yanso inspects the enemy armor's computer for the telemetry Weiss mentioned.

"Cheers Yanso, some extra armour and the like would be handy. Being this size, everybody wants a piece of you." Some additional protection for the sensor array would be best. That thing was a pain being so exposed like that. talk about design flaws; the number of times he'd been reduced to eyeballing shooting angles and repairs to it were far too many.

Barracuda wrote:"There was an explosion. No one seems to be hurt, but we're still digging through the rubble to get everyone free. The Haven is compromised."

"<<I'm on my way.>>" Once Yanso identifies any relevant salvage or information he discards his previous idea to carry some of the salvage back now in order to fly at maximum speed back to the Haven to help dig everyone out of the rubble.

Weiss' heart skipped a beat at hearing the news... ZAc was his son alright?

"Barracuda, can you confirm the state of everybody? Do you need assistance? Where are the people who did it?" Weiss tried to keep his voice calm, but when it came to his family, that wasn't easy and was obvious to anybody who could hear him. He primed the Blue Beauty ready to head into the city if need be. Damn the rules, if my son is in danger ...but also scanning the area in case there were more of those flying creatures. They had disappeared when killed so maybe they could be summoned again if need be.

OOC Comments

Read Sensory equipment 64% 1d100 = 93

Last edited by Weiss on Wed Nov 22, 2017 4:11 am, edited 1 time in total.

"Well done. You each worked together and contributed to protecting the group whenever you could. You should be proud of your brave actions." Beltin says to the vault gathering. He is confident that his forcefield will hold and that the rest of H4H will eventually make their way through the debris. So he turns his attention to Marit.

Marit collapsed and had to be dragged to safety. Perhaps she over-exerted herself? Hopefully it wasn't because those life-force draining weapons somehow pulled her essence out of her.

The young mind melter will settle into a deeper meditation ((Psychic Diagnosis. -4 ISP)) to gain a better sense of what is wrong with his wife. Should surgery be required, he will perform it immediately ((Psychic Surgery. -14 ISP)).

Once out of the vault, Beltin will carry his wife back to their bedroom and care for her there. Should her care be beyond his ability to help, he will put his things back on and ask someone to drive them to the hospital.

Weiss wrote:"Barracuda, can you confirm the state of everybody? Do you need assistance? Where are the people who did it?"

"Well, they're under this forcefield that someone put up. I can see through it and they seem just fine. A little shaken up. We're OK here at the Haven. We just need help clearing rubble. The perps ran off after the bomb went off."

ConditionsTime & Date: Day 2, 7:51pmClimate: 40F, overcastVisibility: 200ftTerrain: UrbanLey Line within 1 mileHeavy radio trafficnumerous magics in useModerate ground and air traffic due to fire. 500+ ground and air signatures moving various directions at speeds from walking up to 200mph within 1 mile. 100+ vehicles and individuals in move in various places within 500ft

The heavy rain abates as a strong northern wind brings rumors of cold from the north. Flash lights and the sounds of running footsteps nearby give notice prior to the arrival of several people close by. "Hey! They need help. Get over here!" is the first unfamiliar voice heard, but a call that is soon echoed in the night.

Ashlynn clearly shaken by the events offers profuse apology and wrestles with the near reality of disaster.

Ronith, seeing the situation is in hand, finds the thugs still on the adjacent rooftop. Cold martial skill... subdues them. Making his way back to the Haven dragging the two of them carelessly behind him. The community around them seems to have spring into action. About two dozen strangers have show up to help. A benefit of being located in the Mystic Quarter is that neighbors are often handy to have around. By the time the two unconscious thugs have their heads bouncing off front steps on the Haven, over fifty percent of the rubble has been cleared away, some of it even repaired by magic. In addition many wounds have been healed and everyone now seems to be alert if not bruised and dirty. Barracuda seems to be the go to person for work orders as Ashlynn awkwardly finds ways to be useful and Beltin has taken Marit to their bedroom.

Upon Ronith's return she offers a sincere and shaken apology. "I'm... I'm so sorry, Sir Ronith. I... I didn't think. If you want me to go..." Ronith accepts with sage but merciful words. ""Let this be a lesson about the importance of care when handling explosives.""

Rae seems shaken when he first finds her. She is sitting, looking at her feet. At first she doesn't seem to hear but then as if suddenly coming back from a great distance she notices Sir Ronith is speaking to her. Jumping to her feet she listens to him. "You put yourself at risk, not for glory but to help another who was injured. This, more than any other, is the most important quality in a Knight. I am proud of you; well done." he says, walking away. He sees her face already going red by the time he turns away, a smile playing along her lips. She bows formally to him as he leaves.

Beltin whisks away Marit as soon as is practical. Aside from his own abilities, a healer had arrived and offered her services. Either with or without the healer, Marit soon awakens, clutching her chest. "I have not felt evil like that before. It pulled my life from me." she explains to Beltin. Psychic Diagnosis reveals that there is only minor physical trauma. What he can tell is that it seems almost like her whole body was suddenly dying. Her body seems to be mending but it is likely it could take a few weeks for her to fully recover, barring other remedies.

Zac, Zoe, Amie and Elizabeth are tended to, with any obvious wounds mended by physicians and healers who have come to help until the Defenders can get there. Zoe is taking quick stock of the situations and begins doing the legal and official legwork of what needs to transpire now as she paces back and forth in the rubble with a long cut on her cheek still seeping blood.

Elizabeth seems to be sifting through some rubble near where she fell looking for her wallet that she had dropped. Ashlynn, looking to be helpful aids her search. Ashlynn finds it or rather what is left of it. A grey and black pile with a warped and melted silver clasp falls apart as she touches it. Nothing remains aside from a few indistinguishable metal blobs and something white-ish poking out from the remaining ash. It's melted but more intact than anything else in the purse. The yellow, curled ends break off but it's clear it's a business card. It looks like there were other cards but the rest were ash. Only this one survived. Though hard to make out, the name is one familiar to Ashlynn. Ms. Alari Whyne. Elizabeth stoops down beside Ashlynn and shakes her head. "Oh well, nothing that can't be replaced." She notices the remainder of the business card. "I wonder if her family operates a vineyard. Names are curious things. But then again, maybe it's just an incidental homonym." she says pleasantly, hoping to cheer Ashlynn up. It does seem very unusual to Ashlynn that the card is the only thing in Eliabeth's wallet to survive the explosion.

Finally after fifteen minutes, Defenders start arriving.

Flight and Fight

Grant confirms the identity of the UAR-1. Watcher also affirms it with a quick, "Correct Grant."

Grant searches the ground for the thugs. Only one is alive, but her state is pitiable. She is missing both arm and her left leg below the knee. She looks to have sustained massive burns after her armor was compromised. How she survived at all is a wonder. Working quickly he heals and stabilizes her. Barric can carry her back or where ever Grant decides she needs to go.

The birds have gone and nothing else remains except smoldering woods and scattered fires despite the constant rain. Suddenly the weather lifts, but what might be a comfort gives way to sudden cold from the north. The wind howls and a chill sweeps everyone present. Defenders make radio contact and send officers their direction.

“Defenders, this is the Blue Beauty. Flying subjects have been neutralised. Two centaur power armours have been despatched in near vicinity to the city. The Heroes for Hire are claiming salvage rights on the two power armours and enemy combatants.”

Salvage operations begin. A local transport service can deliver the remains to the Haven or where ever else for 5,000 credits. It will take them about 12 hours to get it all moved.

Grant, Yanso, Barric and Watcher hurry back to Haven where they can see the destruction first hand after the Defenders arrive to take reports. Weiss drives Blue Beauty back to the Defenders hangar and then makes for the Haven himself. The whole west side of the Haven has collapsed. The rubble seems to have been mostly cleared away however as they soon realize that a large number of other people are helping at the scene.

Sir Ronith wrote:"Let this be a lesson about the importance of care when handling explosives."

Ashlynn bows her head, thankful for the mercy, and embarrassed at her own impetuousness. "Yes, sir."

She moves to help Elizabeth find the remains of her wallet, and the card inside. The name catches her eye.

Elizabeth wrote:"I wonder if her family operates a vineyard. Names are curious things. But then again, maybe it's just an incidental homonym."

Ashlynn smiles. "A whyne yard?" She then thinks about the wines she's seen most recently. Betelman Merlot, Warig Sparkling White Wine, Renoit Ice Wine. They'd been arranged to spell out BeWaRe. She looks around to find Grant, Weiss, watcher and Yanso arrive, and feels a flush of guilt color her face at what she'd nearly allowed to happen to zac.

Beware. Wine.

Beware... Whyne?

"No." Her jaw drops open, and she snatches the card from Elizabeth. "Sir Ronith!" She shakes the card in his direction. "Grant!!!Beware Wine isn't Beware wine! It's Beware Whyne!!! She holds out the card. "Watcher! Grant!! The wines in McGrath's room. Betelman, Warig, Renoit... remember how they were arranged?" She waves the card at him. "Remember how the wines were arranged?"

She points at the last name on the card, Whyne, as she stresses the word 'wines'. Please don't make me say it out loud...

Grant looks at the sad state of the one woman who had planned to attack them. He casts his spells to keep her alive. I may not be doing her a favor, Grant thinks as he looks at her missing limbs. The carnage is something that Grant hadn't truly experienced before. His 'other' memories betray this though, with flitting images of battles and fights that give him a first hand knowledge. His thoughts return to his duel with the 'demonic' warrior, Perhaps if I were as skilled with a blade as Beltin, I could have beaten him instead of just held my own. He turns to Barric, "Barric, when the Defenders come, let's turn her over to them, we don't have the facilities to care for her more than we have already."

With the rain lifting, Grant rubs his arms, his muscles aching a bit from the unfamilar exertion. When the wreckers comes, he looks to Yanso and Weiss, "I think we should have the wreckage taken back to the Haven, we may yet be able to discern something from it. I am sure Sir Ronith will be willing to cover the fee."

At the Heroes' Haven

Grant looks at the damage to the building. Too much is destroyed for my magic to restore this. They'll have to drape tarps or something to keep out the rain. Seeing that his team is still alive with only superficial injuries by the time he gets back, he reports to Sir Ronith and tells him about their encounter outside the walls, he ends with, "At the rift before it closed, there was a large eye peering out of it. I couldn't see all of it, but with both technological and magical assets, my first thought is that the Splugorth are involved. The remains of one of the power armors is going to be brought here in about 12 hours, 5000 credits will be due upon delivery."

Ashlynn wrote:"No." Her jaw drops open, and she snatches the card from Elizabeth. "Sir Ronith!" She shakes the card in his direction. "Grant!!!Beware Wine isn't Beware wine! It's Beware Whyne!!! She holds out the card. "Watcher! Grant!! The wines in McGrath's room. Betelman, Warig, Renoit... remember how they were arranged?" She waves the card at him. "Remember how the wines were arranged?"

She points at the last name on the card, Whyne, as she stresses the word 'wines'. Please don't make me say it out loud...

Hearing his name called, Grant turns to see Ashylyn holding a small card. He listens to her deduction. Wine...Whyne, could be. Grant smiles at her, "That actually makes a lot of sense. But why did..."Mrs McGrath have the card on her? Grant's smile turns upside down. Crap is this another one of those tracking devices? Grant holds up a finger and moves over to Watcher and says quietly, "Watcher, can you detect any signals from that card Ashyln's holding?"

When the card is either safely stowed or found to be innocuous, he asks Elizabeth, "What do you know of this Ms. Alari Whyne? Where does she live?"

Grant confirms the identity of the UAR-1. Watcher also affirms it with a quick, "Correct Grant."

Grant searches the ground for the thugs. Only one is alive, but her state is pitiable. She is missing both arm and her left leg below the knee. She looks to have sustained massive burns after her armor was compromised. How she survived at all is a wonder. Working quickly he heals and stabilizes her. Barric can carry her back or where ever Grant decides she needs to go.

The birds have gone and nothing else remains except smoldering woods and scattered fires despite the constant rain. Suddenly the weather lifts, but what might be a comfort gives way to sudden cold from the north. The wind howls and a chill sweeps everyone present. Defenders make radio contact and send officers their direction.“Defenders, this is the Blue Beauty. Flying subjects have been neutralised. Two centaur power armours have been despatched in near vicinity to the city. The Heroes for Hire are claiming salvage rights on the two power armours and enemy combatants.” Weiss radios

Salvage operations begin. A local transport service can deliver the remains to the Haven or where ever else for 5,000 credits. It will take them about 12 hours to get it all moved.

Hope that HQ is paying for this, otherwise I’ll have to drag it back, Weiss mused, before Grant confirm that the H4H was paying for the salvage.

“That’s weird weather patterns. Grant, Barric, were they casting some weather magic here?” he asked the two mages, figuring this was their area of expertise. Judging by the sound outside, I am glad I’m in the Blue Beauty. Sounds cold. Be glad to be back in the warmth.

Grant, Yanso, Barric and Watcher hurry back to Haven where they can see the destruction first hand after the Defenders arrive to take reports. Weiss drives Blue Beauty back to the Defenders hangar

It takes a few moments for him to stow the Blue Beauty away, taking the time to do a quick examination to ensure that there was not any major structural damage or leaks. Whilst he was there, the Defenders take a quick statement from him regarding the firefight outside. Weiss is a little impatient because he wanted to get back to ensure Zac was safe, drawing a little censure from the Defender.

and then makes for the Haven himself. The whole west side of the Haven has collapsed. The rubble seems to have been mostly cleared away however as they soon realize that a large number of other people are helping at the scene.

“Holy frak,” Weiss exclaimed as he pulled up on the hoverbike he’d borrowed, “Is everyone alright?” He was surprised at how bad the damage was. Seeing Zac, the two of them rushed over to each other, Weiss throwing his arms around his son, first hugging him, then quickly checking him to see if he was alright.

“Are you alright?” he asked, worry and regret at leaving him evident in his voice. Zac nodded, still a little shaken up. It was one thing to be on the edge of a firefight like Zac had been at the farm, but it was something else to be right in the middle of it. Weiss could see Zac had been scared, but was keeping it together. Zac shakily handed the Wilks laser pistol to Weiss, not wanting it anymore. Weiss barely paid it any mind, storing it back in its holster whilst still keeping an arm around his son.“It’ll be alright,” he told Zac, as much for him as it was for himself. They’d already lost one home in the past few weeks, now the first place they’d had chance to settle in properly even for a night had been attacked. Would he ever be able to help his son feel safe ever again?

Keeping Zac close, he walked over to Sir Ronith, overhearing Grant mentioning the Demonic eye.“I’m sure Grant has filled you in on some of the details. We have the remains of the power armour Watcher and I took down, but the pilots opted to commit suicide rather than be captured alive. We are dealing with either fanatics or something with immense control over its minions. Yanso and Watcher should pull the telemetry data. It might help us identify where the armour has been and indicate where their home base is.I heard news that Merctown had been attacked in the past by Demons. Could this be related to that incident?

Also, I’ll need to take Yanso over to the Blue Beauty in order to do repairs. Depending on what our next actions are, we should get to as close to full strength as possible.I know no contract has been discussed, but I would like to request some assistance with repairs and reloads .I know that we need to repair the HQ and upgrade its security, but I don’t we’ll be sticking around here for long. Something like this says we need to move out after our missing person case and soon, once we have a proper target. I’m guessing Watcher was not able to pinpoint the location of the signal?”

Whilst he waits for Yanso, Weiss will help with the cleanup, but also help put up protection from the elements at the now exposed elements of the building, checking over exposed connections and things like the utilities. Losing things like the heating and toilets would just add to this frakking situation.

Zac gives him a hand (and anybody else who looks at a loss for something to do gets roped in), whilst Weiss gives him some instruction on the plumbing and what to do. Keeping him busy will stop him from dwelling on it too much, but he gets Zac to open up about what happened though, so he knows that he needs to thank Marit for keeping them safe and giving his son advice about how to process these sort of situations, drawing on incidents from his mercenary background. The last thing he wanted was for Zac to be affected by this situation.

If he sees Ashlynn, he checks how she is doing. “Ash,” he looks at her, “you had to make a quick decision If the bomb had gone off where it was, then Marit wouldn’t have needed to put up a shield. They’d all be dead. Was it the perfect solution?” he looked up around at the damaged building, “there are other options, but it comes from learning what the rest of your squad can do. It was more than I would have been able to do it that situation, but from the incident with the truck, I know Barracuda can have some detrimental effects on technology when he needs to."

OOC Comments

General Repair & Maintenance 54% 1d100 = 29 PASSBasic Mechanics 49% 1d100 = 66 FAILAt least the plumbing is alright, not so much for the heating

John doesn’t know the relevancy of the wine to the investigation (and is a beer man generally), so just looks confused when it is brought up.

"Watcher, can you detect any signals from that card Ashyln's holding?"

Assuming Watcher examines the card, the robot examines it thoroughly. Though the card no longer transmits a signal due to the damage, it determines that the damaged card is built like to the other complete card.

Grant's inquiry of Elizabeth has her pause for just a moment. "I'm not sure. Being the master's assistant I would assume she either lives on the campus or nearby. I don't know her well at all. It seemed she didn't care for my husband much nor he for her. The last time I visited my husband it was clear to me they seemed to be at odds, though he attributed it to his organizational habits or lack thereof. She gave me her card after I first came looking for my husband. To be honest I forgot I had that card."

Virtus wrote:Beltin whisks away Marit as soon as is practical. Aside from his own abilities, a healer had arrived and offered her services. Either with or without the healer, Marit soon awakens, clutching her chest. "I have not felt evil like that before. It pulled my life from me." she explains to Beltin. Psychic Diagnosis reveals that there is only minor physical trauma. What he can tell is that it seems almost like her whole body was suddenly dying. Her body seems to be mending but it is likely it could take a few weeks for her to fully recover, barring other remedies.

"It does seem we have invited some powerful malevolent force into our home." Beltin agrees, while gingerly holding his wife's hand. "Fortunately for me, the evil's ability to siphon was far exceeded by your ample reservoir of life." The young mind melter manages a weak smile of assurance at his wife's traumatic experience. "Once the healer clears you, let's get you comfortable in the bedroom. You should rest."

Beltin will stay at Marit's side and get her whatever she requests (i.e. food, drink). As she rests, he is left with his own thoughts.

Who or what is trying to destroy us? They certainly almost succeeded. I wonder if there is anything that can be done to locate them. Then a thought occurs to him and Beltin steps outside their room to radio in to the team. "Beltin here. As people are going through the rubble, I'd like to request that any residual from our attackers be left to the side. As before, we still have a mystery to unravel, but the attack suggests an unknown entity that we need to learn more about. Perhaps an object read or scrying will shed some light on that."

After communicating his intentions, Beltin will keep his radio on him, but return to the room to care for his wife.

The healer clears Marit. She accepts Beltin's prescription of rest after the health and safety of the others has been established. Marit comforts Ashlynn. "Gentle are most whales, but their wakes can overturn great ships. No one doubts your heart." She also rubs Rae's arm in passing, offering complimentary words at her performance. Though Marit is young herself, she has a maternal nature that reaches out to all. Normally one to not be worried over, she is pleased at the personal attention from Beltin and drinks up his service. Her requests are small but numerous. A small but mischievous smile plays on her lips as she indulgently enjoys his ministrations.

"Watcher, can you detect any signals from that card Ashyln's holding?"

Assuming Watcher examines the card, the robot examines it thoroughly. Though the card no longer transmits a signal due to the damage, it determines that the damaged card is built like to the other complete card.

Grant's inquiry of Elizabeth has her pause for just a moment. "I'm not sure. Being the master's assistant I would assume she either lives on the campus or nearby. I don't know her well at all. It seemed she didn't care for my husband much nor he for her. The last time I visited my husband it was clear to me they seemed to be at odds, though he attributed it to his organizational habits or lack thereof. She gave me her card after I first came looking for my husband. To be honest I forgot I had that card."

Grant whistles a sigh of relief to hear the card is inactive. Upon Mrs. McGrath's mention of the master, Grants face has a confused look on his face for a moment. Master? Elizabeth's master? What? No, Alari's master. The campus! Grant looks down in his pouches with the dimensional pockets cast upon them. It should be safe inside the extra-dimensional space."Watcher, I am going to open one of my pouches and pull out a card that we were given at the Collegiate Arcane, can you put up any sort of counter measures to prevent it from transmitting?"

If Watcher gives the affirmative, the mage opens the apparently empty pouch and reaches his hand in, to anyone paying close attention his hand goes in farther than it should. He pulls out a business card:

Once Watcher has confirmed that the card can't transmit, or if he can't, Grant puts it back in to the pouch and seals it shut inside the extra-dimensional space inside, he looks around at his team. "We met her when we searched the Professor's quarters at the Collegiate Arcane. I don't think any of us got a hint of ill will from her." He looks at Ashlynn and Barric to confirm. "She may try to bolt, I think we need to find her quickly. Do we want to contact the Guildmaster directly and ask her to detain her? Although, I am not sure we could do that discreetly."

When the opportunity occurs, Grant takes a moment to fall back to his room. He sits down heavily and pulls open a pair of pouches in the cross body satchel he's wearing and pulls out two glowing spheres. We, I need to be ready. He looks down at the rings on his hands that had so recently made the difference in saving his own life. He absorbs the energy of one of the spheres. He takes the time to recharge his ring of Fly Like an Eagle (3 charges), Invulnerability (1 charge), Power Bolt (1 charge), and Armor Bizarre (1 charge). He then absorbs energy from a second sphere to replenish his reserves. A look of wonder on his face as he realizes how much his reserve has grown since his short time upon returning to Merc-Town from q845. Did the dimensional matrix of q845 changed me or is this from the Lord Magi teachings?

Beltin Delhomme wrote:Who or what is trying to destroy us? They certainly almost succeeded. I wonder if there is anything that can be done to locate them. Then a thought occurs to him and Beltin steps outside their room to radio in to the team. "Beltin here. As people are going through the rubble, I'd like to request that any residual from our attackers be left to the side. As before, we still have a mystery to unravel, but the attack suggests an unknown entity that we need to learn more about. Perhaps an object read or scrying will shed some light on that."

As he was fixing the plumbing, Weiss heard Beltin on the radio.

"Beltin, we have the remains of the power armour being delivered shortly. That should provide you with something to object read."

- Telekinesis (small objects): 1m15s remaining.- EBA: +3 to initiative, +2 to parry/dodge, +5 to roll w/impact, +2 vs. psionics and possession, +1 vs. magic illusion and mind control, Can dodge surprise attacks or attacks from behind, only has a 25% chance to show up on thermo-infrared vision

Back at the Haven, Ronith is warmed to see so many of the neighbors pitching in- the team's recent experience with an angry mob in town had somewhat soured him on the team's reputation, and he is happy to see it partially restored.

Weiss wrote:"Barracuda, can you confirm the state of everybody? Do you need assistance? Where are the people who did it?"

Ronith takes over the comm. "Marrit was injured, everyone else is fine barring minor injuries that Beltin is likelier than not to have taken care of by the time you get back here."

Ronith will drop the two thugs into the carpet of adhesion binding Barracuda, with instructions to watch over the duo and summon him if they need to be 'convinced' to stay. Ronith will then go to assist and (where necessary) supervise the clearing of the rest of the rubble. He will place Zoe in charge of getting the damage fixed. "We need intact walls as soon as possible- the rest can be rebuilt later, but if you can arrange it we shall pay for it."

Once the rebuilding is coming along, the thugs are subdued, and the hunt for clues resumes Ronith will pitch in wherever he can. At Ashlynn's revelation about the name, Ronith takes the card from her and performs an object read ((-10 ISP)). He will share whatever he learns from the card with the others, and hand it to Beltin if the read was inconclusive. With a cocked eyebrow, he will wait for Grant and Ashylnn to report on the details of the wines they found in McGrath's quarters.

Weiss wrote:“I’m sure Grant has filled you in on some of the details. We have the remains of the power armour Watcher and I took down, but the pilots opted to commit suicide rather than be captured alive. We are dealing with either fanatics or something with immense control over its minions. Yanso and Watcher should pull the telemetry data. It might help us identify where the armour has been and indicate where their home base is.I heard news that Merctown had been attacked in the past by Demons. Could this be related to that incident?

"Agreed. Watcher, Yanso, see what you can determine from their databanks.""As for demonic attack, it is always possible with such fiends. But the beings that attacked us match no demons or deevils of whom I have heard, and there is no evidence that McGrath was involved with such foul magicks. I suppose human demon worshipers could be fanatical enough to take their own lives to avoid capture, but I myself have retained two prisoners who were less determined. Let us see what they have to say about the nature of their employers."

Weiss wrote:Also, I’ll need to take Yanso over to the Blue Beauty in order to do repairs. Depending on what our next actions are, we should get to as close to full strength as possible. I know no contract has been discussed, but I would like to request some assistance with repairs and reloads .I know that we need to repair the HQ and upgrade its security, but I don’t we’ll be sticking around here for long. Something like this says we need to move out after our missing person case and soon, once we have a proper target. I’m guessing Watcher was not able to pinpoint the location of the signal?”

Ronith frowns. "We shall have to see what we can do Mr. Weiss. I appreciate that the tools of your trade are expensive to maintain, but you are not a member of my company and you joined us in this task of your own accord. As you can see, effecting repairs on the Haven is likely to strain our cash reserves in the short-term. Without a more precise estimate of how much you need, I cannot offer such assistance based solely on what the company and I have saved. We shall do what we can as an advance on your payment from Elizabeth, if you wish, but my priority must be with repairing my company's base of operations. Not to mention resolving this case- I could use a few hours' mediation myself, but we may need to act more quickly than that."

Virtus wrote:"I'm not sure. Being the master's assistant I would assume she either lives on the campus or nearby. I don't know her well at all. It seemed she didn't care for my husband much nor he for her. The last time I visited my husband it was clear to me they seemed to be at odds, though he attributed it to his organizational habits or lack thereof. She gave me her card after I first came looking for my husband. To be honest I forgot I had that card."

Ronith frowns again. "Do you know what they were arguing about, specifically? I would like to hear everything you know about this Ms. Whyne."

Before deciding on next steps, Ronith will approach the two thugs he captured. Taking Barracuda aside, he will murmur "You are familiar with 'good cop, bad cop', yes? Why don't you take up the latter." The two will then go to work on the thugs- Ronith wants every detail of how they came to be up on a rooftop firing explosives at the Haven, including who hired them.

Grant Latham wrote:"We met her when we searched the Professor's quarters at the Collegiate Arcane. I don't think any of us got a hint of ill will from her... She may try to bolt, I think we need to find her quickly. Do we want to contact the Guildmaster directly and ask her to detain her? Although, I am not sure we could do that discreetly."

Ronith frowns again. "It seems illogical to hand out one's business card all over town if one is up to something nefarious. But if Ashlynn is correct about Professor McGrath's warning then there is no time to lose. I suggest we proceed to the guild directly- their staff are unlikely to take this matter as seriously as we would like and I wish to give Ms. Whyne as little opportunity to escape as possible."

Keeping the assistants organized is easy. A little bit of magic here, some strong d-bees there and the trapped folks are free. He watched excitedly as some were able to cast spells that created wood from nothing and then turned that wood into hardened material. "What? Do we want a wall of weird? Who let this guy in here?" With the repairs well underway, Barracuda is able to chat with Ronith when he pulls him aside to talk.

Ronith wrote:Before deciding on next steps, Ronith will approach the two thugs he captured. Taking Barracuda aside, he will murmur "You are familiar with 'good cop, bad cop', yes? Why don't you take up the latter." The two will then go to work on the thugs- Ronith wants every detail of how they came to be up on a rooftop firing explosives at the Haven, including who hired them.

Apollo and Dawn never let me be Bad Cop!"Won't let you down, bossman." Barracuda flashes him a smile before letting it sink into a scowl. Approaching the thugs, Barracuda looks like a man who will take no shit and wants to harm someone.

Weiss wrote:“I’m sure Grant has filled you in on some of the details. We have the remains of the power armour Watcher and I took down, but the pilots opted to commit suicide rather than be captured alive. We are dealing with either fanatics or something with immense control over its minions. Yanso and Watcher should pull the telemetry data. It might help us identify where the armour has been and indicate where their home base is.I heard news that Merctown had been attacked in the past by Demons. Could this be related to that incident?

"Agreed. Watcher, Yanso, see what you can determine from their databanks.""As for demonic attack, it is always possible with such fiends. But the beings that attacked us match no demons or deevils of whom I have heard, and there is no evidence that McGrath was involved with such foul magicks. I suppose human demon worshipers could be fanatical enough to take their own lives to avoid capture, but I myself have retained two prisoners who were less determined. Let us see what they have to say about the nature of their employers."

“Grant captured one as well. They might be from the same gang or unit. If they were employed, they might have been dispatched by a higher up. If that is the case I should check their gear just in case that provides us any clues, especially if they were supplied anything by their employers who abandoned them.”

Weiss wrote:Also, I’ll need to take Yanso over to the Blue Beauty in order to do repairs. Depending on what our next actions are, we should get to as close to full strength as possible. I know no contract has been discussed, but I would like to request some assistance with repairs and reloads .I know that we need to repair the HQ and upgrade its security, but I don’t we’ll be sticking around here for long. Something like this says we need to move out after our missing person case and soon, once we have a proper target. I’m guessing Watcher was not able to pinpoint the location of the signal?”

Ronith frowns. "We shall have to see what we can do Mr. Weiss. I appreciate that the tools of your trade are expensive to maintain, but you are not a member of my company and you joined us in this task of your own accord. As you can see, effecting repairs on the Haven is likely to strain our cash reserves in the short-term. Without a more precise estimate of how much you need, I cannot offer such assistance based solely on what the company and I have saved. We shall do what we can as an advance on your payment from Elizabeth, if you wish, but my priority must be with repairing my company's base of operations. Not to mention resolving this case- I could use a few hours' mediation myself, but we may need to act more quickly than that."

“No, it’s alright Sir Ronith.” Weiss’ expression changed, as he suddenly changed track, realising that he had been operating an erroneous assumptions. They’d been invited by Sir Ronith, but if he didn’t view them as members of his squad, then they were more likely to get hung out to dry as mercenaries without contracts were at the whim of their employer. He’d seen it before and it was not fun, he'd have to rectify that and protect Ash and Yanso at the same time.

“I didn’t realise that you considered us a separate contracting entity. Guess I will have to relay that to Yanso and Ashlynn so that we act accordingly from now on. We shall continue our efforts to finish this assignment. If you will excuse me, I have things to attend to.”

When the salvage arrives, Weiss ensures that he is there. He hands over 2500 credits to the salvage operator, paying for their fair share.

OOC Comments

deduct 2500 credits from Weiss' sheet

As he was fixing the plumbing, Weiss heard Beltin on the radio. Not just the rubble though he thought that might provide that information. I was thinking about the telemetry data, but this might provide the same information.

"Beltin, we have the remains of the power armour being delivered shortly. That should provide you with something to object read and we know it has been in contact with the people who attacked us."

If we claimed the gear from the dead thugs, Weiss will start checking through that, separating it into still useful, completely screwed over and potential evidence. Any notes, communication devices, expensive and new equipment and business cards were placed in the evidence pile along with anything that seemed out of place. Weiss made sure to wear gloves and kept his gas mask on just in case there was anything that had been released by the firefight. Gang or unit markings he made a note of, so that somebody who knew the gangs could identify their affiliation. He knew some of the merc outfits insignia by sight and if it was one he didn’t know, probably somebody down at the Merc pub could ID it.

If these idiots got hired from one of the local units or gangs, then they might be put out we cut their guys to pieces, no matter what the circumstances were. Best to keep apprised and if need be nip a potential problem in the bud, well if we’re sticking around

Weiss wrote:“Ash, you had to make a quick decision. If the bomb had gone off where it was, then Marit wouldn’t have needed to put up a shield. They’d all be dead. Was it the perfect solution? ...there are other options, but it comes from learning what the rest of your squad can do. It was more than I would have been able to do in that situation, but from the incident with the truck, I know Barracuda can have some detrimental effects on technology when he needs to."

She hangs her head. "Weiss... John... I have to tell the truth. I... didn't think at all. I saw the bomb. Saw Zac. And just... reacted. It was stupid. And I'm just... really very lucky no one I love... she glances almost involuntarily at Zac, "...was hurt or killed. But thank you for making me feel better. I'll... do better next time."

Marit wrote:"Gentle are most whales, but their wakes can overturn great ships. No one doubts your heart."

Ashlynn smiles and hugs Marit. After a long moment, she pulls away, wiping a wayward tear from her cheek. "Are you calling me fat?"

Grant wrote:"We met her when we searched the Professor's quarters at the Collegiate Arcane. I don't think any of us got a hint of ill will from her."

As he glances at Ashlynn, her face flushes again. What did I miss? Ishmael taught me how to read people, see when they're phony. There's tricks, tells, that you can use... did I miss something?"Nah... I didn't get a whiff of bad from her. So... I either missed something, or she's real good at pretending. Or... maybe McGrath misattributed whatever all this is to her." She shrugs. "Wish I knew which."

Great job, Ash. So far you're 0 for 2 on this job - you blew up the Heroes Haven and you missed spotting the bad guy. I can almost hear Pangur's disappointment in me now.

Grant wrote:"She may try to bolt, I think we need to find her quickly. Do we want to contact the Guildmaster directly and ask her to detain her? Although, I am not sure we could do that discreetly."

Ashlynn smiles, looking at the debris of Heroes Haven. "We may be a bit past the point of discretion. But... we do need to corroborate this... this is the only evidence of her involvement so far."

Ronith wrote:"...I myself have retained two prisoners who were less determined. Let us see what they have to say about the nature of their employers."

Weiss wrote:“Grant captured one as well. They might be from the same gang or unit."

Ashlynn frowns. "I might like to get a look at these guys. Give 'em the ol' once-over."

If she gets the chance to view the prisoners, she looks them over as the others question them.

When Weiss calls her over to discuss the situation between them and the Heroes for Hire, Ashlynn tells him "Please don't blame Sir Ronith... if I hadn't blown up the Haven I'm sure this wouldn't be an issue. I'll.... I'll pay you back out of my share for the repairs to your 'bot." After a moment's contemplation, she adds, "I really like them, John. I like you and Yanso and Zac... and I like Grant and 'Cuda and Ronith and Beltin and Marit and everyone. Even Watcher. And ... and they have every reason not to hire me, and I wouldn't blame them. Pangur Ban always said I could be reckless and here I am - I've only known them for a day and I blew up their house and nearly killed a bunch of people because I was in the heat of the moment and didn't stop to think or play it safe and... and people could've died, John."

"They... they're probably pretty mad at me. They're mad at the bad guys and they're mad their house got blown up. And they have every right to be mad at me. So... don't be mad at Sir Ronith. Be mad at me. But... just... please don't hate me. I'll make it right."

Weiss wrote:“I didn’t realise that you considered us a separate contracting entity. Guess I will have to relay that to Yanso and Ashlynn so that we act accordingly from now on. We shall continue our efforts to finish this assignment. If you will excuse me, I have things to attend to.”

Ronith frowns. "My apologies, Mr. Weiss. I was under the impression that maintaining independence was your preference. The fact is, Heroes for Hire is presently hiring. Yanso expressed interest earlier but I had thought you and Ashlynn intended to go your own way after this mission was complete. If that is not the case it would be my pleasure to offer both of you employment- we can discuss terms later. Recent events notwithstanding" he gestures ruefully at the ruined section of the Haven, "the Haven is as safe a place as any in MercTown for a child. You may contemplate the matter at your leisure, and Zac's of course."

Perception: 1d20+1 = 7(+3 Amplified Hearing if relevant)JIC 20/100: 1d20 = 11 / 1d100 = 3---------------------------------------------------Before Weiss leaves to return Blue Beauty to storage Yanso gives a cursory inspection of the lumbering war machine, looking for any damage. Per Ronith's orders, Yanso once again attempts to collect data from the damaged enemy power armor once they have been delivered back to the Haven. The dents and other assorted damage his own chassis suffered during combat seems to slowly heal itself over time to anyone patient enough to stare that long.

After hearing of Ashlynn's role in the demolition of the Haven's west wing, Yanso makes a point to speak to her, knowing that she must be wracked with guilt. "Looks like you and I need to brush up on our explosives training," he says with a smile, reminding her of his own misadventures with explosives earlier.

Beltin blows lightly on the broth before his steady hand carefully ladles a spoonful of warm soup toward his wife's mouth. He gingerly catches the dribble off the sides of her lips with the spoon before he hears John's voice in his ear.

Weiss wrote:"Beltin, we have the remains of the power armour being delivered shortly. That should provide you with something to object read."

There is a pause while Beltin makes sure Marit has successfully swallowed before he sets the bowl down and depresses his throat-mic, responding in a hushed voice.

"I'm afraid I am currently occupied. I am confident that Grant or Barric can also assist in the object read if they have the time and energy."

As he picks up the soup once more, he is left to reflect on his words. Actually, Grant has performed exceptionally ever since he joined the squad. He has grown in leaps and bounds. And continues to make himself essential to every encounter we have been faced with. He is extremely intelligent, strategic in his tactics and observant of the many details that matter. Should I ever retire... he would certainly do quite well supporting Sir Ronith as his second.

Beltin's gaze returns to Marit as he returns to his care for her. Compassion and love emanate from his being as he is swept up in how the trials and tribulations they have been through have brought them closer.

Having overcome a near-death experience, Beltin spends his free time with his wife. In addition to taking care of her, he also tries to take her mind off the current situation by reminiscing about how they met and asking her for more details about her life prior to H4H's arrival.

Grant whistles a sigh of relief to hear the card is inactive. Upon Mrs. McGrath's mention of the master, Grants face has a confused look on his face for a moment. Master? Elizabeth's master? What? No, Alari's master. The campus! Grant looks down in his pouches with the dimensional pockets cast upon them. It should be safe inside the extra-dimensional space. "Watcher, I am going to open one of my pouches and pull out a card that we were given at the Collegiate Arcane, can you put up any sort of counter measures to prevent it from transmitting?"

Watcher acknowledges affirmatively, "Yes, I can. Ashlynn and Barric may wish to bring theirs closer as well for optimal suppression." It is then that Ashlynn and Barric recall that they too were given cards by Ms. Whyne.

Proxy Watcher wrote:Watcher acknowledges affirmatively, "Yes, I can. Ashlynn and Barric may wish to bring theirs closer as well for optimal suppression." It is then that Ashlynn and Barric recall that they too were given cards by Ms. Whyne.

Ah, I had forgotten she handed out cards to each of us, Grant thinks. Would he have noticed them transmitting, maybe, can't take the risk. Once the cards are deemed safe or put away where they can't be used effectively, he asks Watcher. "Watcher, do you have a clear image of Ms Whyne?" Grant holds up his portable computer. If Watcher has the image, Grant holds up his portable computer for Watcher to upload the image. With the image, I can use Second Sight to see what she's doing currently.

Sir Ronith wrote:"...If that is not the case it would be my pleasure to offer both of you employment- we can discuss terms later."

"YES!" She clears her throat. That was loud."Umm... Yes, please. Thank you."

Yanso wrote:"Looks like you and I need to brush up on our explosives training."

Ashlynn nods. "Hagbard - he was my friend - I think he's dead now - he'd be mad at me, I think. He always said I needed to know how to work around explosives but Pangur always said I was too headstrong. I think they were both right. But I'm gonna have to, y'know, put my head down and learn some stuff."

Watcher wrote:"Yes, I can. Ashlynn and Barric may wish to bring theirs closer as well for optimal suppression."

"Frak!!!" Ashlynn fishes around in her pocket for the card before retrieving it and frowning exaggeratedly at it. She hands it to Watcher, her mouth twisted into a look of disgust.

This... lady... spies on us, sends demons after us... and makes me blow up our house? Bombs trucks, hits people with cars... She ain't doing all this all by herself. She works for or with someone else. I'm gonna carve her up, and all her cronies.

She stands by expectantly until the cards are quarantined or disabled, so they can talk freely, fuming all the while.

Grants looks upon the face of the Ms Whyne and weaves his mystic energies. He sees a vision of her. Clad in armor she sets a fire in a house and then runs to a hovercycle nearby and takes off. He watches her in transit for a moment. Though he doesn't know the exact street, it looks like she is in the Mystic Quarter.

Virtus wrote:Grants looks upon the face of the Ms Whyne and weaves his mystic energies. He sees a vision of her. Clad in armor she sets a fire in a house and then runs to a hovercycle nearby and takes off. He watches her in transit for a moment. Though he doesn't know the exact street, it looks like she is in the Mystic Quarter.

Grant's eyes are unfocused as he watches the scene unfold. The pupils dilate as he sees the woman's actions. He says to his team, "I see her. She's involved, she just set fire to a house, probably her own. I can't see the address, but it's on the business card. She just jumped on a hover cycle and she's wearing body armor."

The spell ending, Grant's eyes dart to his team. We need Beltin."I can continue to watch her to see where she stops. It would be risky, but I could probably teleport us to her. Or like we did for Amie, Beltin could track her psychically. Someone should call the Defenders to have her stopped at the gates if she tries to leave the city and send a fire crew to her address."

Ronith wrote:Ronith frowns. "My apologies, Mr. Weiss. I was under the impression that maintaining independence was your preference. The fact is, Heroes for Hire is presently hiring. Yanso expressed interest earlier but I had thought you and Ashlynn intended to go your own way after this mission was complete. If that is not the case it would be my pleasure to offer both of you employment- we can discuss terms later. Recent events notwithstanding" he gestures ruefully at the ruined section of the Haven, "the Haven is as safe a place as any in MercTown for a child. You may contemplate the matter at your leisure, and Zac's of course."

Weiss looked Ronith in the eye, initially looking like he was in a staring competition with the Cyber Knight for dominance, then a slight wry smile broke out on his face, as he ran his hand through his hair.

“Then, I guess that’s a lesson for both of us about assumptions. Zac and I definitely appreciate the offer and we would like to accept it.” He looked around at the damage to the base. “I would however recommend we improve the security measures a bit, though I’m not sure anything is Ashlynn proof. Don’t doubt her courage or her loyalty though,” he gently mocked her.

"I still intend to pay my way though. As the salvage coming in could also be used to repair the Blue Beauty, and depending on what survived and what it was armed with in terms of launchers, it might have reloads I can use or for your APC… " then something dawned on Weiss as he mentioned the vehicles, “considering their penchant for explosives and vehicles, and the fact that they had access to the Haven whilst we could not see them, Watcher needs to check them for explosives!"

Beltin blows lightly on the broth before his steady hand carefully ladles a spoonful of warm soup toward his wife's mouth. He gingerly catches the dribble off the sides of her lips with the spoon before he hears John's voice in his ear.

Weiss wrote:"Beltin, we have the remains of the power armour being delivered shortly. That should provide you with something to object read."

There is a pause while Beltin makes sure Marit has successfully swallowed before he sets the bowl down and depresses his throat-mic, responding in a hushed voice.

"I'm afraid I am currently occupied. I am confident that Grant or Barric can also assist in the object read if they have the time and energy."

Then why did you ask…. Weiss grumbled mentally when Beltin bounced him to speak to Grant. It was half hearted since he knew Marit was injured from her time facing their assailants and had kept Zac safe, which gave her a lot of points in her favour from Weiss.

“Grant, this is Weiss, Beltin has asked if you could do the readings on the remains of the power armour."

Ashlynn wrote:She hangs her head. "Weiss... John... I have to tell the truth. I... didn't think at all. I saw the bomb. Saw Zac. And just... reacted. It was stupid. And I'm just... really very lucky no one I love... she glances almost involuntarily at Zac, "...was hurt or killed. But thank you for making me feel better. I'll... do better next time."

“Ashlynn, take a breath and calm before you hyperventilate." he consoled the young woman, "Everything will be alright. As Yanso said, we need to brush up on our handling of demolitions. All things considered, a little gentle mocking for what happened is deserved, but don't take it to heart. Honestly, as only Watcher seems to have any direct skill with explosives, I think it’s best if we work on providing some extra capacity in that regard."

OOC Comments

Will be spending some EP as soon as my patreon stuff is added to get an occ skillOn the power armour, there should be some mini missiles at least to claim.